So back when Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers first came out in 1991, after the first year it was the most successful kids show in history, or rather, would become as such (15 years straight now). So, obviously, SABAN (who owns the rights to ROBOTS IN DISGUISE) tried to bring other shows from Japan that could be successful.

Before MASKED RIDER, before BIG BAD BEETLEBORGS, before the UK made MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF TIR NA NOG, there was VR Troopers. But before VR Troopers was VR Troopers, it was Cybertron.

Now, a history lesson...

During the first season of Power Rangers, they brought on Jason David Frank (Tommy) as the Evil Green Ranger, who eventually became a member of the team and easily the most popular Power Ranger in the history of the 15 years it has in the record books. But SABAN was running out of Green Ranger footage to use, so the decision was made to have the Green Ranger lose his powers.

Now, Power Ranger fans know how the rest of the story goes ... he's brought back, loses his powers again, and eventually becomes the WHITE RANGER, goes on to do two movies with the franchise, and comes back for season 12 called DINO THUNDER and makes that the most successful series since Power Rangers In Space.

But before that, SABAN had decided to try and take Jason David Frank and make him the star of his own show, Cybertron (aka VR Troopers). The WHITE RANGER was originally going to be Brad Hawkins, who was the main character on what we saw as VR Troopers. He was also the voice over for the Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo before the role was taken over by Austin St. John (the original MMPR Red Ranger).

So here's the pilot that was aired and shopped to networks, who apparently had a bidding war over it because of Jason David Frank's popularity as the GREEN RANGER.

You'll notice all the music is basically used from SABAN ("Go Green Ranger Go" is now "Cyberrrrtrroooonn" ... and Rita Repulsa's theme is used for Grimlord). But if Jason David Frank was not offered the role of WHITE RANGER, if he had stayed and the name "CYBERTRON" took off (was not trademarked by Hasbro in 1991), it's a good possibility that the series we know as "Transformers Cybertron" would have been something entirely different.

The name Cybertron did not originate with Transformers. It had previously been used by Marvel comics in the 48th issue of X-Men back in 1968. There the term was used for a race of robots built and controlled by a large computer called Computo. Computo is defeated by Cyclops and Marvel Girl, who face off against a few Cybertrons in the process.

Just a minor correction, the White Ranger was going to be played by Brad Hawkins, who ultimately ended up playing the character Ryan Steele on VR Troopers.

Click to expand...

Thanks, caught that after I wrote it but got lazy

And the entire name "Cybertron" would be gone ... they'd have to refer it to it, as they did, as "Planet Cybertron" or change the name entirely. It could still be used in the comics, but thanks to trademark and registration laws, any cartoon with "Cybertron" in it would have been a no-go.

This pilot that you're watching was seriously bid on by a ton of networks. Everyone wanted Jason David Frank. And how pissed was WB when they got it, only to find out Jason Frank wasn't going to be on it. heh

Wasn't TF cybertron originally called galaxy force anyway? For all we know it might have had a turn for the better, not had a pointless namechange, brought forward the use of "convoy"(or prime in the US), not made nitro convoy a fem-bot, not called megalo-convoy metroplex(wtf, metroplex my ass, whoever came up with that namechange needs a kick in the balls), etc etc.

Nitro Convoy was going to be a guy, the networks requested more female characters. Would have likely happened either way.
Unlikely Convoy / Prime would see wider use, excluding Vector Prime, Prime is mostly limited to the Optimus type characters to make it seem more "special".
Metroplex was copyright protection. Hasbro does it all the time. They've got to use the names to keep hold of them, and personally, I prefer Metroplex as a name than Megalo Convoy. Metroplex sounds like a huge robot. "Mega low" Convoy sounds vertically challenged.